Dying Young
by Lovely Complex Girl
Summary: To die young and leave behind so many loved ones, that is the hardest thing to do, Sasuke thought as they sunk Sakura in the river. The smell of cherry blossoms floating in the chilly air only made it more painful to let her go... SasuSaku Rated T


**Me: As I promised, here is the SasuSaku fic-**

**Sakura: FINALLY!**

**Sasuke: I thought you died.**

**Ikuto: No, she was busy writing stories for her FAVORITE couple.**

**Sakura: Aw, you wrote stories about me and Sasuke kun? **

**Amu: Scoff. In your dreams, PINKY!**

**Sakura: At least mine is natural.**

**Amu: What? MINE'S NATURAL!**

**Sakura and Amu: *glare***

**Ikuto: Is it just me, or is it getting intense in here?**

**Sasuke: Are you always this annoying?**

**Ikuto: If by annoying, you mean charming, then yes.**

**Sasuke: I don't see why Miyumi likes you.**

**Ikuto: Do you not see how HOT I am? *grin***

**Sasuke: I only see a very ugly guy trying to act like he's hot.**

**Itachi: Burn. **

**Sasuke: You're just as ugl-**

**Me: ITACHI IS FUCKIN HOT! SO SHUT UP, OR I WILL PAIR SAKURA UP WITH LEE! **

**Lee: Yosh! The youthful cherry blossom of Youthfulness will youthfully fall in love with me, the youthful Green Sexy Beast of Youthfulness! YOSH.**

**Me: *shivers in fear* Damn weirdo!**

**Itachi: Miyumi chan does not own Naruto.**

**Me: I own 15 boxes of Samoas! GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!**

**Lee: Yosh!**

**Naruto: *eats my cookies***

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_If I die young, bury me in satin._

_Lay me down in a bed of roses._

_Sink me in the river, at dawn._

_Send me away with the words of a love song…_

INO'S POV

I could not believe that this was my best friend that I was looking at. I never imagined what it would be like to look at Sakura in a casket, surrounded by the strong smells of satin and roses. I always assumed we would die as old, cranky ancient ladies chasing each other around in our wheelchairs, while our husbands tried to keep us from killing one another. It never occurred to me that Sakura could die young. I brushed the tears away with my finger and tried to stop the scream from ever leaving my lips. I bent down to place a single forget-me-not beside Sakura's pale, lifeless face. She looked like one of the beautiful porcelain dolls that could easily break if touched in the wrong way. It was hard to believe that this girl was dead, because she looked like she was only sleeping deeply. I truly believed that she would open her eyes and I would see those brilliant green eyes of hers staring brightly at me, and I would hear her rudely say, "Ino Pig, wipe your tears. You're such an ugly girl when you cry." But I knew in my heart that it would not happen like that. Instead, I would wake up to a cold world, and I would visit the hospital only to realize that the coldness was there too. I would go to Ichiraku's to find a new Naruto, a Naruto who had lost his best friend, his sister. I would only open my eyes to a world without the one known as Sakura, Forehead Girl, and my BEST FRIEND. I glanced down into the blank face of Sakura's and almost choked on tears. If you looked closely, you could see the thin line across her throat, the killing blow dealt by Yamochi, Miyumi's younger sister turned Akatsuki. I glanced over my shoulder to see the stoic Miyumi staring blindly up at the sky. A familiar wetness touched my cheek and I let my tears flow. The sky cried along with me as the sound of funeral bells tolled on.

"Why did you have to die young, Sakura?"

_Lord make me a rainbow; I'll shine down on my mother._

_She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors. _

_Oh and, Life ain't always what you think It outta be. No._

_Ain't even gray, but she buries her baby. _

NARUTO'S POV

I screamed to the heavens as Sakura's body appeared in front of me. I did not want this to happen! God, this should not have happened to Sakura. She was just following orders, MY orders. I was the one who told her to go with Yamochi and stake out for Sasuke as we were ambushed. I glanced down into Sakura's angelic face and whimpered slightly as I reached for her hand and squeezed. Damn, I wanted to squeeze the warmth into her, but her smile was already frozen old. Isn't it funny? She died with a smile on her face, all because she saw Sasuke before she passed away. I glanced behind me to see people glaring holes into my back. They wanted me to let go, but I couldn't. I loved her. She was the sister I never had, the teammate I always wanted, and my definition of family. It was my job to protect Sakura. When Sasuke left, he passed the torch to taking care of Sakura behind for me to take up. This was his unspoken last request from mw, protect our girl. And I had failed.

I squeezed Sakura's hand and let tears fall onto her face. What I would give to switch spots with Sakura, have me in there instead of her in the black and lonely casket! She had a family, her sweet mother and her kind father. Now they had to bury their only daughter. There should be a rule against the child dying before the parents. I resisted the urge to scream in agony as Sakura's mother threw her body toward her daughter's casket and draped herself around Sakura, screaming and pleading with the gods to give her daughter back.

I kissed her fingers as I placed a pink rose beside her face. Not caring that all the eyes of the villagers were on me, I bent down and kissed Sakura on her forehead after brushing a stray piece of pink hair away from her face.

With a sad smile, I turned away as tears fell from the sky.

"I'll miss you, Sakura chan."

_The sharp knife, of a short life._

_Well, I've had just enough time. _

HINATA'S POV

I never liked funerals. Funerals were full of tears. I hated tears. I couldn't stand the color black, the color of death, that hung like shadows off of people. Oh, and the beloved that lay in the coffin, I could never find the courage to approach the chariot and gaze into the frozen faces. The paleness of the body and the disturbing way they looked like they were asleep always frightened me. But this time, none of those feelings were present. This was SAKURA, my friend, the girl who always kept a smile on her face, even when Sasuke betrayed the village. If she cried, she cried where no one could see her. She was everything I wished to be and more. And now, she was gone. I glanced at Naruto. He was feeling the brunt of this death. This was his teammate, his close friend, almost a sister. It wasn't fair, I thought as I glanced at the stoic Miyumi, who could barely meet anyone's eyes. Not only was Sakura dead, but Miyumi was no longer a trusted ninja in the village, all because her sister was a crazed psychopath who fell for the wrong guy.

I grazed my hand against Naruto's own and clamped tight. He would not be alone because I would stand by his side. I gazed sadly up into his tear filled eyes and gently squeezed his hand, letting him know that I would always be there for him, even when others turned away. We would protect Sakura's memory together forever.

_There's a boy here in town says he'll love me forever,_

_Who would have thought forever could be severed?_

Sasuke Uchiha stoically watched as his teammate, the woman he loved was placed on a bed of cherry blossoms. 'I was too late,' he thought as people cried all around as Naruto made his way through the crowd and cried at Sakura's casket. Her beautiful face was free of worry; he wished to join her in her worry free place. Her eyes were closed; he only wished he could see her beautiful bright emerald orbs once more, but that was not the case. She was gone; like all flowers, she had wilted and died.

Sasuke's eyes watered up slightly and he brushed the tear aside. He would not cry; he would avenge Sakura. He was too weak to protect her in the first place, but now, Uchiha Itachi, the murderer of his clan and Sakura, would pay for his crimes. Images of a smiling Sakura floated in his head and he shook them away desperately. He was not ready to face a world without her smiles, not yet. With a grudge bearing down on his shoulder, he turned away and dashed into the forest as the village took Sakura's body, lying on the bed of cherry blossoms, and left her to float in the river under the bridge where Team 7 used to meet.

_Send me away with the words of a love song…._

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**Me: REVIEW!**

**Ikuto: Come to the dark side.**

**Itachi: We have Samoas. **

**Gaara: And, uh... Blood! Yes, BLOOD! *creepy smile***

**Amu: And pink haired freaks! *points at Sakura***

**Sakura: And pedophiles! *points at Ikuto***

**Ikuto: ... And we have hot guys. *points at himself***

**Sasuke: *scoff* You wish, Ugly.**


End file.
